System and method to predict and prevent power supply failures based on data center environmental behavior

Abstract

An information handling system may include a first power supply for a first system, a second power supply for a second system, and a management controller. The management controller may detect that the first power supply has failed, receive first information from the first system related to the operation of the first power supply prior to the failure of the first power supply, receive second information from the second system associated with the second power supply, and determine a probability of failure of the second power supply based upon a comparison of the first information with the second information.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. An information handling system, comprising:
 a first power supply for a first system; 
 a second power supply for a second system; and′ 
 a management controller configured to:
 detect that the first power supply has failed; 
 receive first information from the first system related to an operating condition of a first processing element of the first system prior to the failure of the first power supply, wherein the operating condition of the first processing element includes an operating condition of software or firmware operating on the first system; 
 receive second information from the second system related to an operating condition of a second processing element of the second system; and 
 determine a probability of failure of the second power supply based upon a comparison of the first information with the second information, wherein the probability of failure is determined as:
     P   fail   =f   1 (HW)* f   2 (Eff)* f   3 (Age)* f   4 (Env) 
 where f 1 (HW) represents a factor that relates first hardware information for the first power supply to second hardware information for the second power supply, f 2 (Eff) represents a factor that relates first efficiency information for the first power supply at the time of failure to second efficiency information for the second power supply, f 3 (Age) represents a factor that relates first age information of the first power supply at the time of failure to second age information of the second power supply, and f 4 (Env) represents a factor that relates first environmental information for a physical environment of the first power supply at the time of failure to second environmental information for a physical environment of the second power supply. 
 
 
 
     
     
       2. The information handling system of  claim 1 , wherein the management controller is further configured to:
 determine that the probability of failure is greater than a threshold. 
 
     
     
       3. The information handling system of  claim 2 , wherein the management controller is further configured to:
 provide an indication when the probability of failure is greater than the threshold. 
 
     
     
       4. The information handling system of  claim 3 , further comprising:
 a third power supply for the second system, the third power supply operating as a backup to the second power supply; 
 wherein the management controller is further configured to direct the second system to disable the second power supply and to enable the third power supply when the probability of failure is greater than the threshold. 
 
     
     
       5. The information handling system of  claim 1 , wherein the first information includes the first hardware information, the first efficiency information, the first age information, and the first environmental information. 
     
     
       6. The information handling system of  claim 1 , wherein the operating condition of the first processing element further includes at least one of a processor loading for the first system, a memory utilization for the first system, a storage utilization for the first system, a network bandwidth for the first system, and a input/output bandwidth for the first system. 
     
     
       7. A method, comprising:
 detecting, by a management controller, that a first power supply for a first system has failed; 
 receiving first information from the first system related to an operating condition of a first processing element of the first system prior to the failure of the first power supply; 
 receiving second information from a second system that includes a second power supply, the second information related to an operating condition of a second processing element of the second system, wherein the operating condition of the first processing element includes an operating condition of software or firmware operating on the first system; and 
 determining a probability of failure of the second power supply based upon a comparison of the first information with the second information, wherein the probability of failure is determined as:
     P   fail   =f   1 (HW)* f   2 (Eff)* f   3 (Age)* f   4 (Env) 
 where f 1 (HW) represents a factor that relates first hardware information for the first power supply to second hardware information for the second power supply, f 2 (Eff) represents a factor that relates first efficiency information for the first power supply at the time of failure to second efficiency information for the second power supply, f 3 (Age) represents a factor that relates first age information of the first power supply at the time of failure to second age information of the second power supply, and f 4 (Env) represents a factor that relates first environmental information for a physical environment of the first power supply at the time of failure to second environmental information for a physical environment of the second power supply. 
 
 
     
     
       8. The method of  claim 7 , further comprising:
 determining that the probability of failure is greater than a threshold. 
 
     
     
       9. The method of  claim 8 , further comprising:
 providing an indication when the probability of failure is greater than the threshold. 
 
     
     
       10. The method of  claim 9 , further comprising:
 directing the second system to disable the second power supply and to enable a third power supply of the second system when the probability of failure is greater than the threshold, the third power supply operating as a backup to the second power supply. 
 
     
     
       11. The method of  claim 7 , wherein the first information includes the first hardware information, the first efficiency information, the first age information, and the first environmental information. 
     
     
       12. The method of  claim 7 , wherein the operating condition of the first processing element further includes at least one of a processor loading for the first system, a memory utilization for the first system, a storage utilization for the first system, a network bandwidth for the first system, and a input/output bandwidth for the first system. 
     
     
       13. An information handling system, comprising:
 for a first system; 
 a second power supply for a second system; 
 a third power supply for the second system, the third power supply operating as a backup to the second power supply; and 
 a management controller configured to:
 detect that the first power supply has failed; 
 receive first information from the first system related to an operating condition of a first processing element of the first system prior to the failure of the first power supply, wherein the operating condition of the first processing element includes an operating condition of software or firmware operating on the first system; 
 receive second information from the second system related to an operating condition of a second processing element of the second system; 
 determine a probability of failure of the second power supply based upon a comparison of the first information with the second information, wherein the probability of failure is determined as:
     P   fail   =f   1 (HW)* f   2 (Eff)* f   3 (Age)* f   4 (Env) 
 where f 1 (HW) represents a factor that relates first hardware information for the first power supply to second hardware information for the second power supply, f 2 (Eff) represents a factor that relates first efficiency information for the first power supply at the time of failure to second efficiency information for the second power supply, f 3 (Age) represents a factor that relates first age information of the first power supply at the time of failure to second age information of the second power supply, and f 4 (Env) represents a factor that relates first environmental information for a physical environment of the first power supply at the time of failure to second environmental information for a physical environment of the second power supply; and 
 
 direct the second system to disable the second power supply and to enable the third power supply when the probability of failure is greater than a threshold. 
 
 
     
     
       14. The information handling system of  claim 13 , wherein the first information includes the first hardware information, the first efficiency information, the first age information, and the first environmental information. 
     
     
       15. The information handling system of  claim 13 , wherein the operating condition of the first processing element further includes at least one of a processor loading for the first system, a memory utilization for the first system, a storage utilization for the first system, a network bandwidth for the first system, and a input/output bandwidth for the first system.